BREAKING: Members of Sheffield child prostitution ring jailed for 43 years

Sarah Marshall

Four men and a woman involved in Sheffield child prostitution ring that led to the sexual exploitation of five young girls have been jailed for a combined total of 43 years.

Brothers, Christopher, 23, Matthew, 25, and Shane Whiteley, 30, all of Weakland Crescent, Hackenthorpe were found guilty at an earlier hearing, of multiple sexual offences including rape, sexual assault against a child under 13 and conspiracy to arrange child prostitution and theft.

Christopher Whiteley was sentenced to a total of 15 years in prison forfour counts of rape, one child prostitution offence, two counts of sexual assault on a child under 13 and one count of theft.

Appearing alongside them were Amanda Spencer, 26, and Taleb Bapir, 39, who were respectively found guilty of four counts of arranging child prostitution and rape.

The brothers and their associates targeted vulnerable young girls in the Sheffield area between 2005 and 2012.

The girls were given drink, drugs and gifts, before being forced to have sex with members of the group and strangers. They were also threatened and subjected to violence

During the six week long trial, prosecutor Peter Hampton identified Christopher Whiteley and Amanda Spencer as being the main players in the child prostitution ring.

Amanda Spencer was sentenced to a furtherthree years in prison forfour child prostitution offences, bringing her total prison term to 15 years.

Judge Peter Kelson QC sentenced Christopher Whiteley to a total of 15 years in prison for four counts of rape, one child prostitution offence, two counts of sexual assault on a child under 13 and one count of theft.

Amanda Spencer, previously of Canklow Road, Canklow, Rotherham was sentenced to a further three years in prison for four child prostitution offences. She was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2014 for 16 child prostitution offences.

Judge Kelson handed her a consecutive sentence, bringing her total prison term to 15 years.

Shane Whiteley and Matthew Whiteley were given eight years and seven years in prison, respectively, for one child prostitution offence.

Shane Whiteley was sentenced to eight years in prison for one child prostitution offence

Taleb Bapir, of Verdon Street, Neepsend was sentenced to 10 years in prison for one count of rape.

Commenting on the case, Judge Kelson, said: "I have never, in my professional life, witnessed such broken humanity.

"It is to be hoped that prosecutions of this sort will help to send out the message loud and clear that people who commit offences of child sexual exploitation will be caught, will be prosecuted and where convicted will be punished severely by the courts.

"Each of you had choices as to how you would treat the victims in this case; each of your victims was vulnerable, some very vulnerable; they desperately needed and wanted help; you knew that; but you succumbed to your greed for sexual satisfaction and financial gain.

Matthew Whiteley was sentenced to seven years in prison for one child prostitution offence

"You could have helped girls who were in real need of help, you chose instead to sexually exploit them."

Peter Mann, from the CPS, said: “These defendants cynically targeted and sexually exploited young and vulnerable girls. The suffering the victims must have endured is hard to comprehend.

“This case was a complex one. With the victims’ assistance the CPS, working with South Yorkshire Police, was able to build a strong prosecution case against these defendants, resulting in today’s sentences.”